CYP 5073 Research Methods Assignment Sample

1. Introduction

1.1 Introduction to the research background

Child abuse results in emotional and psychological effects that later in life make one susceptible to mental-related problems such as the tendency to suicide. Suicide in the UK is still a pressing issue that concerns the wellbeing of British citizens, especially those who survived abuse during childhood years. Some of them are depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can progress to suicidal thoughts due to abuse in any form. This research will focus on studying the relationship between childhood abuse and suicide and the psychological and social factors that may mediate this relationship. It is believed that raising awareness of these factors will help to enhance the methods of intervention and care for at-risk individuals in the UK.

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1.2 Rationale for the topic

Childhood abuse is an important public health concern in the UK, with the individuals who have been abused being more vulnerable to suicide. Available literature suggests a high richness in the probability of acquiring mental health disorder including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in childhood physical abuse survivors, which are all found to be correlated with suicidal ideation (Bryant et al., 2020). Based on the research done by the Office for National Statistics (ONS, 2022), there is an increase in suicide in the United Kingdom and especially among people who experienced abuse. As it has been seen that abuse leads to long-term psychological effects, the relationship between abuse and suicidal behavior needs to be explored to help in the development of better prevention measures and treatment for mental health.

This topic is considered more significant than other possible areas of the study since childhood abuse is likely to cause severe and long-term consequences for a person, not only in childhood but also in adulthood, that intensifies the risks of self-harm and suicide attempts (Perkins & Latham, 2021). Compared to mass mental health research, this study looks into child abuse and suicide and is of particular importance as it contributes to such a pertinent area of study. There are many earlier studies on mental health problems of abused people, however, not enough research focuses on the correlation of abuse and suicide risk in the UK.

Thus, the detection of the risk factors and the protective factors is especially important when designing effective prevention programs. It is established that the suicidal behaviours in survivors of child abuse can be mitigated by early intervention and timely mental health intervention (Jones & Black, 2021).

2. Literature Review

2.1 Research evidence

1. The Impact of Childhood Abuse on Suicide Risk in the UK

Physical, emotional, or sexual mistreatment of children has also been identified as the major causative factor in suicide. Research conducted revealed that those who were abused are more likely to attempt suicide by two to five times than those who have never been abused (Dube et al., 2020). The Office for National Statistics published that in the UK, there are disproportionate suicide rates of abuse survivors in the particular year of 2022, and ACEs seem to be one of the most significant risk factors. It impacts the ability of one to control one’s emotions, increases feelings of hopelessness, and leads to psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which are causes of suicide (Fergusson et al., 2018). As for this relation, some scholars also attest to it, despite others noting that not every kid who has been abused in childhood contemplates suicide. In the case of identifying the risk factors, Afifi et al. (2021) identify some of the protective factors such as social support as well as positive coping mechanisms. However, Perna et al. (2019) explain that the effects of childhood abuse do not fade over time and that is why early intervention should be employed in the strategies for reduction of suicide rates.

2. Barriers to Mental Health Support for Childhood Abuse Survivors in the UK

Despite the previous finding that childhood abuse increases suicide risk, survivors receive limited mental health care. Although mental health is a need that is offered by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), the following challenges are evident: long waiting list, lack of adequate funds, and social backlash. Existing research by Perkins & Latham (2022) states other barriers to survivors’ path, such as lack of money and lack of awareness about where to turn for help. Moreover, Webb et al. (2020) provide insights into the system, such as a lack of trauma-informed care for mental health care services. Most GPs are not well trained to diagnose or manage the long-term health consequences of ACE, which results in the underdiagnosis of mental health disorders (NHS Digital, 2021). This is even worse for male survivors since they are likely to face even more stigma along with what is expected of a man who is shouldering the revelations of being a survivor (Easton et al., 2019). While some of the studies state that more funding and better awareness of mental health should be implemented, some are advocating for systems of the NHS to treat people affected by trauma. Nevertheless, there is a lack of literature evaluating the cultural and socioeconomic determinants of attending mental health services among abused women in the UK.

3. Protective Factors and Intervention Strategies to Reduce Suicide Risk

Research has established certain indices that are protective and indices for potential intervention in preventing suicide in childhood abuse survivors. This confirms that social support, early intervention, and therapy for patients who have been through trauma all help to lessen suicidal thinking (Hughes et al., 2017). Of the discussed schools of thought, CBT and DBT are the most useful when it comes to helping survivors build personal protective styles and regulation skills (Linehan, 2018). Integration and support from other members of the society have also been likened to play a vital role in helping victims of abuse from committing suicide (Frost et al., 2020). Research and findings indicate that persons who are in peer support networks exhibit less loneliness and depression (Samaritans, 2022). On the same note, there is equal concern about the availability of such resources given the fact that the minority within the minority has further constraints to acute care. However, other arguments for the policies are that to reduce suicides in this population a multi-sectoral approach that involves changes in policies, enhancing mental health services, and increasing community awareness is required (WHO, 2021).

2.2. Problem Statement and Research Justification

Childhood abuse is associated with suicide risk, and it has been found that there are still areas of this relationship not fully understood in the UK. A study confirms that those who have a history of childhood abuse try suicide two to five times more often than those with no such history (Dube et al., 2020). According to the data obtained from the Office for National Statistics (ONS, 2022), the number of deaths by suicide in the United Kingdom was 5,583 in 2021, and a significant percentage was related to ACEs. Nevertheless, there are no specific approaches aimed at satisfying the mental health care requirements of the abuse victims.

As it has been described in many authors’ papers, childhood adversity results in subsequent psychological maladjustment, and the UK's modern delivery of psychiatric treatment is inadequate. Perkins and Latham (2022) also highlighted the fact that many survivors do not get the needed therapy due to issues such as limitation of funds, lack of information, and social prejudice about mental health services. In addition, there are general recommendations for suicide prevention, however, there are not many specialized offers concerning the specifics of this kind of threat among people who experienced child abuse. This lack of service means that many at-risk persons are likely not getting the intervention they need to avoid self-harm and suicide.

Consequently, there is another major limitation in research on protective factors that could prevent suicide among such survivors. Some interventions that have been found to help in the reduction of suicidal behaviour include social support, early interventions, and trauma-informed therapy as pointed out by Fergusson et al., (2018). However, more longitudinal studies which are based in the UK would be regarded as desirable to establish the chronicity of such interventions.

This study will help fill these gaps by examining the link between childhood abuse and suicidal behaviours and by finding out the obstacles to mental health treatment and implementing research-supported solutions to the problem in the UK. Closing these gaps will go a long way in enhancing the policies and health services that will be offered to the relevant vulnerable citizens.

2.3. Research Question

Research Questions

1. How does childhood abuse contribute to increased suicide risk among individuals in the UK?
2. What are the key barriers preventing survivors of childhood abuse from accessing adequate mental health support in the UK?
3. What protective factors and intervention strategies can effectively reduce suicide risk among survivors of childhood abuse?

Research Aims and Objectives

Aim: To explore the relationship between childhood abuse and suicide risk while identifying gaps in mental health service provision and proposing effective intervention strategies in the UK.

Objectives:

1. To analyse the impact of childhood abuse on suicide risk among individuals in the UK by examining psychological, emotional, and behavioural consequences.
2. To identify key barriers that prevent survivors of childhood abuse from accessing adequate mental health support in the UK, including financial, social, and systemic challenges.
3. To evaluate protective factors and intervention strategies that can effectively reduce suicide risk among childhood abuse survivors, with a focus on evidence-based mental health support and policy recommendations.

3. Methodology

3.1 Research Design

This study will adopt both qualitative and quantitative research strategies because the research topic will require the analyses of both structured and unstructured data to determine the link between childhood abuse and the suicide rate in the UK. The choice of mixed-methods approach is rationalized by the fact that it will involve both the quantitative data to get statistical results as well as the interviews to get people’s experience.

Quantitative research focuses on the use of numbers in the collection and analysis of data in a bid to find out the relationship, association, or correlation between variables (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). In this research, the data to be collected will be collected through secondary sources in the form of mental health reports, surveys, and suicide rates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the National Health Service Digital (NHS). The strength of this approach is that it has quantifiable and easily generalizable data to exemplify an increased risk of suicide in those who were abused as children. However, one could argue that it fails to address some aspects of survivors’ narratives detailing their abuse because qualitative data cannot necessarily portray the emotional and psychological effects of abuse (Bryman 2020).

Meanwhile, quantitative research mostly deals with the outcomes and experiences through the use of interviews, case studies, as well as thematic analysis, as seen by Denzin and Lincoln (2017). In this article, the author will examine primary qualitative literature focusing on the survivors’ use and access to mental health services. One has to acknowledge the fact that the strength of qualitative research is its ability to enhance the understanding of survivors’ views on the matter to fill the gap within the overall mental health treatment services. Nevertheless, a weakness is that the outcomes may not be generalizable due to sample size reductions and possibly researchers influencing the findings’ interpretation (Tracy, 2020).

This study also adopts both quantitative and qualitative research approaches which have the advantage of strengthening this study since it will provide statistical data from the questionnaires and interviews as well as the personal experiences and opinions. Since the methodological triangulation increases validity and brings together all of the data in a study, it gives a richer understanding of the research issue.

This study is proposed to be a correlational study using mixed-methods to explore the connection between childhood abuse and suicide in the UK. This design is appropriate for the study as it establishes relationships between the variables without changing their status. It has some advantages that embrace analysing trends, providing the basis for policy decisions, and integration statistics with the experiences of victims.

The ethical clearance for this research proposal will be sought from the institutional research committee of Leeds Trinity University to ensure that all set ethical requirements will be followed. This means that the study meets requirements as far as the protection of the participant, the anonymity of the participant, as well as voluntarism of the participants. It guarantees that data gathering will respond to the following tenets, namely, privacy, not harm, and integrity. The research design will be presented to LTU’s ethics committee so that it can determine possible risks of the study that may compromise its AO and P1 and make sure that the findings will add value to academic and social knowledge without compromising ethical standards. By following all the regulations highlighted in the LTU ethical framework, it will also be important not to violate GDPR rules and apply the measures of obtaining informed and voluntary consent from vulnerable people to strengthen the reliability of the study findings.

3.2 Data Collection

This research shall conduct secondary research on available data involving childhood abuse and suicide in Great Britain. Sources to be used in this research study include Google Scholar, PubMed, JSTOR, PsycINFO, and government databases including NHS, ONS, and mandatory organization, the Mental Health Foundation. The initial search terms will be “childhood abuse and suicide risk UK”, “personal and social resources that are necessary to support mental health in abuse victims”, and “independent variables that mitigate against suicide in people who experienced trauma”. The sources should be reviewed articles that have been published within the last 10 years, which focus on research based in the United Kingdom, and which involve work done in the field of suicide prevention. While selecting articles, there is a need to exclude all those articles that were not written in English and all those that involve research that has been conducted in any country other than the United Kingdom.

3.3 Participant recruitment and research procedure

As this research will only involve the use of secondary data, there will be no need to recruit participants directly. Consequently, current articles, white papers, and statistics will be used to establish the link between childhood abuse and suicide in the United Kingdom.

If primary research were to be conducted, a purposive type of sampling would be used to select approximately 30-50 participants including the survivors of child abuse, practicing clinicians in mental health, and social workers. Hence, the inclusion criteria would target only those over 18 years, living in the UK, and with experience in abuse during childhood or mental health practice. The criteria for exclusion would be age, less than eighteen years, living in a country other than the United Kingdom, and lack of experience in the field.

People would be recruited on the voluntary basis from mental health organizations, social services, and on the online support groups, where the principles of ethical research were to be adhered to. The patients would be asked for their consent and no identifiable information would be revealed to the public.

3.4 Data Analysis

The data collection and analysis technique that will be employed in this research is the qualitative content analysis of documents on childhood abuse and suicide risk in the UK. The research will also involve determining the connections existing between abuse precursors and suicide indicators. Emphasis will be made on cause-and-effect relationships as well as the synthesized reports and national statistics that would shed light on barriers and protective factors to mental health support. Thus, the results will be presented in the form of a thematic analysis to identify similarities and dissimilarities of the available data sources to note the research and policy implications. Therefore, this way one will be able to severally gain a broad perspective on the issue with strong evidence.

3.5 Ethical considerations

Ethical PrincipleConsideration and JustificationInformed ConsentParticipants will sign a consent form after reading and discussing the information sheet, ensuring they fully understand the study.Right to WithdrawParticipants will be informed they can withdraw at any stage without consequences.ConfidentialityAll data will be anonymized, and participants' identities will be protected.Data Management & GDPRData will be securely stored and managed in compliance with GDPR regulations.Debriefing & Results SharingParticipants will receive a summary of findings upon request and be informed about how the results will be used.

4. Evaluation

This research will benefit practice, knowledge, and policy enrichment by helping to establish more effective relationships between childhood abuse and suicide risk in the UK. It will offer research-based data from the study to understand the factors that contribute to the lack of timely and appropriate mental health care for survivors. The study can be useful in assisting mental health practitioners, social workers, and policymakers in understanding protective factors inherent in survivors and intervention approaches that will facilitate improved survivor support. In addition, the findings can play an important role in changing the existing governmental policies since they create awareness of the need to provide more funding, as well as increase the availability of mental health care services. Based on methodological implications, the study could improve in the following areas by increasing the sample size and sample diversity in the subsequent studies. Despite this research using both quantitative and qualitative research to capture participants’ data, future studies should establish long-term follow-ups on the mental health of survivors. Moreover, traits such as stress hormones, which reflect the overall body condition, can also be included to get a broader view of the role of child abuse in developing mental disorders. The follow-up studies should aim at assessing the interaction between the types of child abuse, including the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and suicidal behaviour. Also, the originality of new therapeutic modalities like trauma-informed CBT and digital mental health targeting ‘key populations’ should be explored. International studies may also reveal further understanding of the policies and intervention approaches being implemented in other countries.

Reference List

• Afifi, T. O., Taillieu, T., Zamorski, M. A., Turner, S., Beattie, T., & Sareen, J. (2021). Association of child abuse exposure with suicidal ideation, suicide plans, and suicide attempts in military personnel and the general population in Canada. JAMA Network Open, 4(1), e2035861. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.35861
• Brent, D. A., & Melhem, N. (2020). Familial transmission of suicidal behavior. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 43(2), 173–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2020.01.001
• Bryman, A. (2020). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
• Bryant, R. A., Creamer, M., O’Donnell, M., Silove, D., McFarlane, A. C., & Forbes, D. (2021). The role of post‐traumatic stress disorder in predicting suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Depression and Anxiety, 38(9), 918–926. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.23199
• Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2017). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Dube, S. R., Anda, R. F., Felitti, V. J., Chapman, D. P., Williamson, D. F., & Giles, W. H. (2020). Childhood abuse, household dysfunction, and the risk of attempted suicide throughout the life span: Findings from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. JAMA, 286(24), 3089–3096. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.286.24.3089
• Easton, S. D., Kong, J., & Gregas, M. C. (2019). Disclosing child sexual abuse experiences in adulthood and associated mental health outcomes: Findings from a national sample of men. Child Abuse & Neglect, 89, 260–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.12.017
• Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., & Boden, J. M. (2018). The impact of childhood abuse on adult mental health: A prospective study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 225, 120–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.045
• Frost, M., Casey, L., & Dunne, M. (2020). Peer support interventions for survivors of childhood abuse: A systematic review. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21(2), 156–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2020.1717095
• Hughes, K., Bellis, M. A., Hardcastle, K. A., Sethi, D., Butchart, A., Mikton, C., Jones, L., & Dunne, M. P. (2017). The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 2(8), e356–e366. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30118-4
• Linehan, M. M. (2018). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Publications.
• Mind. (2021). The mental health emergency: How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted our mental health? https://www.mind.org.uk/media/8962/the-mental-health-emergency_a4_final.pdf
• NHS Digital. (2021). Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2021: Mental health and well-being in England. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/adult-psychiatric-morbidity-survey
• Office for National Statistics. (2022). Suicides in England and Wales: 2021 registrations. https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/suicidesintheunitedkingdom2021registrations
• Perkins, C., & Latham, R. (2022). Access to mental health care among abuse survivors in the UK: Barriers and solutions. Journal of Mental Health Policy, 45(3), 210–225. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2022.2061423
• Perna, G., Alciati, A., Pozzi, G., Micieli, W., Longobardi, C., & Nemeroff, C. B. (2019). Childhood trauma and suicide risk: The mediating role of psychiatric disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 256, 324–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.06.033
• Samaritans. (2022). Suicide prevention strategies and community support programs in the UK. https://www.samaritans.org/
• Smith, D. E., Jones, M. A., & Black, K. R. (2019). Trauma-informed care for childhood abuse survivors: A review of UK-based interventions. British Journal of Social Work, 49(5), 1348–1363. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcz093
• Tracy, S. J. (2020). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact (2nd ed.). Wiley.
• Webb, R. T., Antonsen, S., Carr, M. J., Appleby, L., Pedersen, C. B., & Mok, P. L. H. (2020). Self-harm and suicide in people with specific psychiatric and physical disorders: Comparative cohort study in the UK. BMJ, 368, m575. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m575
• World Health Organization. (2021). Preventing suicide: A global imperative. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564779

Appendix

Interview questions

1. Can you describe your experience with the topic?
2. What challenges have you faced in this area?
3. What strategies have you used to address these challenges?
4. How do you perceive the impact of [research subject] on individuals or communities?
5. What policies or frameworks do you believe influence this issue?
6. What are the key factors that contribute to success in this area?
7. How do you think current practices can be improved?
8. Can you share any real-life examples related to this topic?
9. What role do external factors (e.g., government policies, funding) play in shaping outcomes?
10. How has your perspective on this issue evolved over time?
11. What ethical considerations should be kept in mind when dealing with this subject?
12. How does technology impact this field?
13. What recommendations would you give for future research or policy development?
14. In your opinion, what are the most pressing gaps in knowledge about this issue?
15. How do you measure success or effectiveness in this context?